Thomas s



THOMAS S. GILBERT, OF NEV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO STROUSE d*CO., OF SAME PLACE.

Marlin,

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 293,446, dated February12, 1884.

Application iled October S, 1883. (Model.)

To all whom, it may concer/t:

Be it known that l, THOMAs S. GILBERT, of New Haven, in the county ofNew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvenient inCorsets; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connectionwith accompanying drawings 'and the letters of reference marked thereon,to'be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said1o drawings constitute part of this specification,

and represent, in-

Figure l, a side view of a corset; Fig. 2, transverse section of the twoparts which form the gore or section as placed in position for I5stitching together, Fig. 3, face view of said strips as stitchedtogether; Fig.` 4, section showing the springs introduced into thepockets between the two thicknesses; 5, section same as Fig. et, showingthe thicknesses 2o as shirred or fulled onto the spring, Fig. 6, faceview, showing the iiexible strips attached to the springs;l Fig. 7,transverse section on line w fr of Fig. 6, enlarged; S, transversesection to illustrate the method of stitching the elastic section to theone thickness of the adjacent sections of the corset, enlarged 5 Fig. 9,transverse section showing the strips f as secured to the one thicknessof the adjacent 2 sections; Fig. 10, transverse section on line 3o y yof Fig. 1. i

j This invention relates to an improvement in corsets, with specialreference to the introduction of elastic gores or sections, and in whichgores or sections the elasticity is produced by the employment of metalspiral or` helical springs, applicable to other garments. Heret-oforesuch gores or sections have been made by cutting two thicknesses offabric broader than the gore or section and running 4o lines of stitchesparallel to each other and transversely across the section, the wiresprings introduced into the transverse pockets thus formed,and the twothicknesses shirred or fulled upon the springs, the springs extendingsubstantially tothe edge of the fabrics when so shirred. Such a sectionor gore is introduced between the two thicknesses of the adjacentsections, and lines of stitches run to unite the elastic portion withthe adjacent in- 5o elastic portion, the lines of stitches passing overand through the end portions of the springs, such stitching serving tohold the springs, while the shirred fabric permitsthe extension of thesprings. In another construction the transverse pockets are formed inthe 5 5 two thicknesses of fabric, so as to terminate a little distancefrom the extreme edges of the two thicknesses, and then the springs'pass through the pockets. Their ends are secured together outside thepockets and between the 6o two thicknesses of fabric, leaving a portionof ,fabric at each edge extending beyond the springs, and which edgesserve to unite the elastic portions with the adjacent inelasticportions. In the first construction described there is an uncertainty asto the springs being properly secured. In the second construction theresistance or support of the springs are the lines of stitches betweenthe springs which form the pockets. These lines of stitches are 7oliable to give way under the constant distention and contractiouof thesprings, and make this construction objectionable. Further than this,great care must be exercised in. stitching the two thicknesses together,in order to make the several lines terminate at the same point and leavethe edges free for attachment to the `adjacent parts.

The object of my invention is toattach the` springs directly to theadjacent sections of the 8o corset and independent ofthe covering whichincloses them; and it consists in the construction as hereinafterdescribed, and more particularly recited in the claims. In illustratingmy invention I show the side '8 5 of a corset, the hip-section beingelastic. In this illustration, A represents the front section, and B therear section, these two sections connected at the waist-line by aninelastic band, C, the elastic portions ofthe section D E be- 9o ingrespectively above and below the band C. y To construct the elasticconnections, I cnt two pieces of fabric of substantially the shaperequired for the elastic portion, but broader than the space to befilled. :a b, Fig. 2, represent these two thicknesses. The one, a, iscut broader than the other, b. .The two thicknesses are laid together,as seen in Fig. 3, *and so that the narrower piece b will lie centrallyupon the under piece, a, and leave the extra Loo 2 seas-ic ber ofsprings which I desire to introduce,

the lines of stitches being parallel to each other, and so as -to formpockets between them of sufficient dimensions to receive the springs.

The helical or spiral metal springs e are cut to the required length,shorter than the length of the pockets formed between the two fabrics,and are introduced into those pockets, as seen in Fig. 4, e representingthe spring. Then the two thicknesses of fabric are fulled or shirrcdonto the springs until the springs will project beyond the edge of thenarrower thickness, asv

seen in Fig. 5. To the ends of these springs, which project beyond thenarrower thickness, an independent strip of fabric or flexiblematerial,f, is secured, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7. This may be done byclips or stitches. The strips thus secured complete the elastic gore orsection. It is attached to the corset first by stitching the edges ofthe thickness a to the respective adjacent sections of the corset A B,as seen in Fig. 8. In doing this the strips f should be turned up, asseen in Fig. 8, out

of the way of the path of the needle. This done, the strips f are turneddown and stitched to thatthiekness of the sections A'B to which thethickness a is stitched, but beyond or outside of the line of stitcheswhich secures the thickness of the elastic portion to those seetions, asseen in Fig. 9. This done, the second thickness of the corset isapplied. Its double edge extends over the'strip j', and so as to coverthe ends of the spring and the edge of the thickness b of the elasticportion, as seen in Fig. 10, and is stitched to the first thickness inrear of the ends of the springs, it may be through the strip f',- asseen in Fi l0, leaving a' fold or iiap, h, upon the edge of the sectionsAB, as seen in Fig. l0, which cover the ends of the springs and the edgeof the thickness b.

In the illustration the flap is on the outer surface of the corset, andthis is preferred, and in stitching it to the inner section the line ofstitches is run vclose to the edge of the outer thicknesses up to thesprings, and then is turned from the edge and upward until the springsare passed, and then again returned to the edge, as clearly seen inFig. 1. By this construction I am enabled to stitch the pockets for thesprings, section after section, connectedv together in the usual mannerof stitching, and without regard to the edge of either thickness, andthereby avoid the necessity of careful work and expense of timenecessary in terminating the stitching at a certain predetermined pointwhich is to form the support for the springs, and I make the. attachmentof the springs directly to the body of the corset independent of thethicknesses of fabric in which the pockets are formed.

From this description and illustration the method of forming entiresections or gores for different parts of corsets will be readilyunderstood, as, the invention is applicable to such sections whereverthey may be desired, or such elastic gores or sections are applicable toother garments than corsets. lMy invention, therefore, is not to beunderstood as limiting the use of my invention to corsets.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An elastic gore or section composed of two thicknesses of fabric, aZ), the one narrower than the other, the two stitched together so as toleave both edges of the broader thickness exposed beyond the narrowerthickness, the said stitching being in parallel lines transverselyacross the two thicknesses, and so as to form parallel pockets betweensaid thicknesses, and helical or spiral metal springs e inclosed by suchpockets, the ends of the springs extending beyond the edge of thenarrower thickness, and the several springs secured at their ends tostrips, f, of fiexible material, independent of the covering material,substantially as described.

2. In a corset, an elastic gore or section composed of two thicknesses,ab, of fabric, stitched together by transverse parallel lines of stitches to form transverse pockets between said thicknesses, one of saidthicknesses broader than the other, and so as to leave the edges of thebroader thickness exposed beyond the edges of the narrower thickness,and helical springs c, introduced into said pockets between saidthicknesses of fabric, said springs extending beyond the edge of thenarrower thickness, the ends of the springs secured to strips, f, offlexible material, independent of the two thicknesses which inclose thesprings, the edges of the broader thickness stitched, respectively, toone thickness of the adjacent sections A B of the corset, the iiexiblestrips which connect the springs stitched to the same thickness of thesections A B, the other thickness of the sections A B of the corsetstitched to the first thickness of the elastic section outside the endsof the springs, the edges of said other thickness extending over and soas to form a flap to cover the ends ofthe springs, substanltially asdescribed.

IOO

